Local program helps unemployed find jobs through churches

The state and national unemployment rates are holding steady for the moment, but a new local program is doing its part to try and lower the local rate.

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - It all started years ago with an idea from now CEO Bill Stanton after he met a group of unemployed people at church.

"I kept thinking there ought to be a way that we can get businesses to connect with these unemployed people, because for the most part they don't where to find them, even if they want to find them," said Stanton. "A lot of times the churches don't even know who's unemployed in their church."

Last July he put his idea into action, starting Faith Employees Employment Data ministries, or FEED. That November, Stanton began partnering with churches across southwest Louisiana to get the word out. And now, a year later, several churches are ready to help the unemployed secure a job.

"When a church joins, we give them a code," said Stanton. "Then any unemployed or underemployed even in the area, that wants to get into our database, can go by the church, get the code."

Once you receive a code, you can go to the website and click get started now to access the job database.

"Businesses, when they join, they also get a code, and they can go into our database and post jobs in there, as many as they want, as often as they want," said Stanton.

Our Lady Queen of Heaven, First United Methodist and University United Methodist are already working with FEED. He says the program is a middle man, hopefully benefiting everyone involved.

"It's just a vehicle for the two to get together," said Stanton. "We feel like the employer has got a good chance of maybe getting a better employee, going through the churches."

Stanton says while the program will start small, he hopes it will spread throughout the state and eventually across state lines.

"We feel extremely good about what we're doing," said Stanton. "If we can make an impact than this is why we started this."

Businesses are slowly joining the process, including places like Big Daddy's.